FORMULA 2
 Formula 2 heads to the Circuit-Barcelona Catalunya. Credit: Eric Alonso via Getty Images FIA Formula 2 returns to action this coming weekend as the paddock heads to Spain for round six of the year's championship. It is the second time Formula 2 will have visited Spain in 2024, with the teams and drivers participating in a mid-season three-day test in April. Last time out F2 was in Monaco, where the series claimed two brand new winners that both share British nationality. Taylor Barnard won a manic sprint race while Zak O'Sullivan and ART's gamble, in terms of strategy, paid off and they managed to grab a win from 15th on the grid. Estonian rookie at Hitech, Paul Aron, leads the way at the top after taking the lead in the championship, after another consistent set of races. Circuit Preview- Circuit Barcelona-Catalunya Formula 2 heads to track that it has spent a lot of time at since the series was rebranded from GP2 for the start of the 2017 season. The series raced there every year except for the 2021 season. The drivers will be quite familiar with this circuit as they would have had some form of experience in lower feeder series competitions and also this was the place for Formula 2's mid season testing in April. This track has seen some iconic moments in the Formula 2 archives. Felipe Drugovich put on sublime domination in 2022, winning from both races and who can forget Nobuharu Matsushita winning from 18th on the grid in the 2020 campaign! Circuit-Barcelona Catalunya has had significant changes since the first race here back in 2017. The chicane at the end of the lap which was the old turns 14 and 15 and turn 13 has been made a long and faster curve, to make racing better down the start/finish straight. Modifications have been made and the track is now made of 14 corners and 4.657km in length. 26 sprint race laps and 37 feature race laps to come this weekend around the Circuit Barcelona-Catalunya. There are two DRS zones on this 14-cornered circuit, which will present drivers with overtaking opportunities in the races. The DRS zones run into turn 1 and turn 10. The lap record set in FIA Formula 2 history around the Circuit-Barcelona Catalunya was set in 2023 by Prema's Oliver Bearman. He managed to set a 1:23.546. In the 2023 round, it would be domination for Italian outfit Prema Racing as both of their drivers would stand on the top step across the weekend. Frederik Vesti managed to win the Saturday sprint race by just over a second to championship rival Theo Pourchaire, who was second. Victor Martins was third making it two ART drivers on the podium. In the feature race, Oliver Bearman would start from pole position after topping the Friday qualifying session. He would go from pole to flag and win the feature race by almost three seconds. Enzo Fittipaldi of Rodin Carlin finished second, while Victor Martins would take his second podium of the weekend by finishing third. Spanish rookie looking to return to the podiumSpain has one of their very own competing in the Formula 2 Championship as well as a Spanish team. It is quite special for both the team and driver involved that they happen to be paired up. This being Josep 'Pepe' Maria Marti and Campos Racing. Marti is in his rookie season of FIA Formula 2. He and his team Campos have had a very good start to the season. Pepe currently sits 12 in the standings after the first five rounds with two podiums to his name. Both podiums came in the opening round at Bahrain. Since then he has had a bit of a rough ride from what he would have liked, but the rookie will have been able to have learnt a few things. He has had a decent record around this circuit and he won the Formula 3 feature race in 2023, in front of his home crowd. Campos on the other hand, have Isack Hadjar, Marti's teammate, second in the standings and has picked up three feature race podiums in succession. Last time out: Round 5 - MonacoIt has been almost four weeks since Formula 2 was last in action for round five of the championship, which took place around the streets of Monte Carlo in Monaco. It was a manic weekend as it is always is with Formula 2 events and Monaco. Rain affected the practice session on Thursday, as Formula 2 had a four day weekend. The practice session would be topped by ART's Victor Martins. Martins would have been hoping for a change of fortunes after a difficult start to the year. He would start on the front row after the grouped qualifying but it would be Richard Verschoor that would take his maiden pole position in Formula 2. Taylor Barnard, of AIX Racing, would claim his first win in the category in just his ninth Formula 2 race. It was also one week after their debut as AIX Racing after a re-brand from PHM AIX Racing. Barnard was calm and controlled out front during a manic race which saw two safety cars, a red flag and two virtual safety cars. He held off a charging Gabriel Bortoleto for his second podium in as many races with Dennis Hauger claiming the final podium place in third. Martins, Pepe Marti and Kush Maini were the retirees alongside Zane Maloney, who came into the round with the championship lead. In terms of the feature race, a bad start for Martins from the front row would see hi drop back a whole host of positions as Verschoor maintained the lead. However, in the race the Dutchman would encounter technical issues with his car, which forced him to retire from the race. Isack Hadjar would inherit the lead and in search for his third feature race in a row. He would be denied this however, as Zak O'Sullivan who started 15th on the grid in Monaco pitted just before the Virtual Safety Car (VSC) was deployed and this allowed him to gain time in the pits, while in the lead of the race. This was in the latter stages of the race and O'Sullivan came out in the lead. The VSC was deployed due to Durksen retiring after a collision with Zane Maloney. A collision which would see him be awarded a 10-place grid penalty for the Spain sprint race. To Hadjar's confusion and frustration O'Sullivan would take the win in Monte Carlo. Hadjar would finish second, with Paul Aron completing the podium. With the result, Aron is now the new championship leader. Five retirements happened and they were Verschoor, Durksen, Jak Crawford, Rafael Villagomez and Amaury Cordeel. Excitement ahead of a big three weeks coming upA triple header is awaiting Formula 2 over the next three weeks and it gets underway here in Spain. This could be where championship charges are made and lost and this could really shape the way the championship is viewed as we approach the midway point. Free Practice gets underway on Friday ahead of round six. 2024 FIA Formula 2 Championship: Round 6 - Spain session timesTrack times
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 Brandon Whiteside
Writer - F1 journal
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